Survival and development of Bactrocera oleae Gmelin (Diptera: Tephritidae) immature stages at four temperatures in the laboratory

Bactrocera oleae Gmelin (Diptera: Tephritidae) is the most important and widespread pest in the olive growing countries in the Mediterranean basin. The development and survival of olive fruit fly, B. oleae from egg to adult stage was studied in the laboratory at 16, 22, 27 and 35 degrees C. The objective of the study was to get information on the influence of temperature on immature stages as a prerequisite to optimize rearing procedures and to understand geographical pattern of fruit fly occurrence. Embryonic development was fastest at 35 degrees C but there was no pupal development and, of course, no adults at 35 degrees C. The slowest development of immature stages was at 16 degrees C. The highest percentage of adults obtained from an initial set of 100 eggs was 74% at 27 degrees C. The lower development thresholds for the egg, larval and pupal stages were 9.19, 13.94 and 12.36 degrees C, respectively. The optimum temperature for development and survival of immature stages was 27 degrees C.